False Positives?

Avast Mac Security
1

Why am I getting so many warnings from Avast? . . . and what are these URL’s? I did not visit these pages.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/102569/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-09%20at%2010.58.34%20AM.png

The only URL’s I had open were:

https://start.me/p/3xPOD8/rick-s-start-page

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/08/repugnant-or-fair-debate-erupts-over-judges-decision-in-stanford-sexual-assault-case/

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/06/the_stanford_rape_case_and_liberal_hypocrisy.html

2

URL:Mal = Blacklisted url or IP

It may be ads on the pages you visit

You can check urls for blacklisting here www.virustotal.com

3

Hi,
I found an explanation of what might be happening: https://mikewest.org/2012/02/chrome-connects-to-three-random-domains-at-startup
The question is, why is this request blocked by Avast. Do you have the latest version of Avast and the latest version of VPS? Can you check the contents of your etc/hosts file to see if there is any redirection?

4

There seem to be a problem on the server of that mikewest site.
Opera isn’t opening the site at all while using FireFox avast blocks it.

5

Hello Eddy,
are you using WinXP? See https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=177468.msg1258979#msg1258979

Milos

6

Yes, that is on a XP system.

7

I am using Avast Mac Security 2015
Version 11.12 (46528)
Virus Definitions 116060901

That’s in interesting description of what Google Chrome does every time it starts up. Thing is, I have been using Avast for Mac for quite some time now, and Google Chrome has been my primary browser for quite some time. So why is this just happening now?

Also, I would assume that the people at Avast might know the Chrome browser does this, and not flag these random URL’s as threats.

I checked etc/hosts and there is no redirection.

8

We do not flag those exact URLs. Perhaps something on the way is redirecting you to the blocked URL (your ISP, for example)? Can you check if the same PC does it when plugged into a different network / ISP?